The combination of state budget cuts, drastically reduced federal support and hotter, wetter weather makes this a precarious time for protecting Connecticut's land, waters and wildlife. A variety of government agencies and private organizations monitor the state's ecology and some of their findings...

Home Living

If an “ugly duckling” can become a swan, then a vast, empty house seen on a bleak day in February can be transformed into a dazzling springtime showcase of design creativity and ideas. The Junior League of Hartford’s Decorator Showhouse — which opened Friday at 126 Waterside Lane in West Hartford...

When renowned designer and author Charlotte Moss completes a home for clients, she tells them they should host a party within 30 days. “You’ll break it in, you’ll figure out where the kinks are,” she advises. From then on, she said Thursday, when they entertain, they’ll be “totally relaxed.” Moss,...

The Junior League of Hartford's site for its popular triennial Decorator Showhouse is a stunning 7,000-square-foot, five-bedroom Colonial at 126 Waterside Lane. Situated on a wooded 2.45-acre peninsula on Woodridge Lake in West Hartford's Wood Pond area, the house offers inviting water views in...

If coaching can make some of us better ball players, test takers and actors, think of how it might improve our health. Health coaching — instructing, coaxing and guiding people toward the goal of better health — is a relatively new concept in American health care. So new, in fact, that people are...

The sun's out, so go out and play. If you're like me, you probably heard this admonishment more than once from your mother or a friend's mom while growing up. Yet despite how annoying the advice may have seemed when a favorite television show felt like a better option, health experts are moving...

Travel

Festive holiday travel destinations are a lot closer than you might think. Connecticut is rich with holiday spirit and traditions, beautifully captured in hundreds of photographs by Caryn B. Davis in her new book "A Connecticut Christmas: Celebrating the Holiday in Classic New England Style" (Globe...

On a recent visit to the Guest House, a non-profit inn and conference center in Chester, a guest noticed a certificate on the wall proclaiming it a Green Lodging. She checked the light bulbs and noted that all of them were super-efficient LED bulbs, which look a lot like the old incandescents that...

Newport, R.I., "the city by the sea" as it's called, draws fans of "Downton Abbey" and the Gilded Age, who visit year-round to tour spectacular turn-of-the-century mansions, feast on fresh seafood, ogle luxury sailboats in the picturesque harbor and shop the trendy stores on Bowen's Wharf and Thames...

Weddings

"Putting on a wedding dress is not like putting on yoga pants. There often are five to seven to 10 layers between a girl's legs and the outside of the dress," Margrete Olsen says. Brides from Argentina to California seek Olsen's meticulous hands to move sleeve holes in their designer gowns and...

One's wedding day is a time to shine, and these days brides increasingly are choosing to cap off their wedding ensembles with shimmering accessories for their hair: pearl-studded combs, vintage rhinestone hair clips, crystal-beaded headbands. "After the bride's veil comes off at the reception,...

Googling "unique wedding venue" turns up more than 5 million search results. Couples today increasingly are looking for offbeat, memorable locations for that special day. In Connecticut, you can get married under the stars in a planetarium or at an aquarium with Beluga whales swimming in the background....